Fire-alarm



` Y 3Sheevss---Sheet'1.V J. W. SEE. PIR-E ALARM.

(No Model.) f

Patented Peb. 7, 1888.

Fig. 1.

Witnesses: c E Inventor (LL/.5. www

` (N0 Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.r

J. W. SEB. FIRE ALARM.

No. 377,501. ,-Patent-edPebf. '7, 188,8.

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HAMILTON, OHIO.

FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,501, dated February 7, 1888.- Application filed April 2, 1887. Seri-a1 No. 233,351. (.No model.)

To .all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES W. SEE, of Ham-V ilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- 1Alarms, of which the following is a specilica-Y lon.

This invention pertains to tire-alarm systems, but is applicable also to other alarm and signaling purposes.

Ordinary fire-alarm telegraph systems may be dened asa series of numbered rendezvous properly distributed throughout the district to be protected; an automatic signaling telegraph-instrument in a suitable box at each rendezvous-each instrument being arranged to transmit impulses designative of the distinctive number of its rendezvous; telegraphlines leading from such rendezvous-instrument to the re-enginehouse; a signalreceiving and announcing instrument at such engine-house adapted to announce, as by bell-taps, the number of the rendezvous from which the signal initiates, and fire-extinguishing apparatus and attendants at the engine-house. Upon the occurrence of a fire a person goes to the nearest rendezvous,and operates the automatic signaling-instrumentthere. Thesignalgoesoverthe line to the engine-house and announces the distinctive number of the rendezvous to the men at the-engine-house. The men proceed to the rendezvous, and the party there who sent the signal directs them to the location of the re.

In some cases the signal from therendezvous, instead of going to the engine-house, goes lto a central telegraph-office, from which the signal is retransmitted to whichever of several engine-houses may be thought best. In'small towns only enough men are kept on duty at the engine-house to attend to absolute needs, the balance of the fire corps being engaged at their usual avocations in different parts of the town. When the signal from the rendezvous reaches the engine-house, the Inen at the engine-house signal to those outside men by means of a large alarmbell, the distinctive signal of the rendezvous being repeated upon this large bell. The outside men of the corps then proceed to the rendezvous. In some cases the receiving-instrument at the enginehouse is arrangedl to automatically strike the termed, are too expensive for the smallest` towns, and, furthermore, being constructed to respond to electrical impulses, they are not always satisfactory in neighborhoodssubject to violent thunder-storms. In the absence of automatic strikers the alarm on the large bell is struck b'y one of the engine-house attendants; but in the excitement attending an alarm of lire it is seldom possible for a man to strike proper distinguishable numbers upon the large bell.

My improvements contemplate the employment of the usual telegraph-*from rendezvous points to the engine-house in conjunction with a device for striking the large bell automatically; but this bell-striking device receives no impulse from the telegraph system. An attendant at the engine-house, after receiving the telegraph-signal, makes an extension attachment to the bellstriking device, which then becomes automatic'and leaves the rattendant free to attend to other duties.

My system also contemplates the same manner of bell-striking when' n o telegraph -lines are employed, the rendezvous-points, however, being given distinctive numbers. Notice of ires comesI to the engine-house by messenger in the usual manner, and the bell-striking apparatus is then adjusted to strike the distinctive number of thatrendezvous. The enginehouse device which is thus adj usted for striking the'signal I term the monitora -The apparatus by means of which the large bell is struck I term the bell-striker.77 Itis the duty of the monitor to control the bell-striker.

My improvements will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in l which- Figure lis a front elevation of a monitor illustrating my invention, one of the triggerdisks being shown as displaced from its storagepeg; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same atright angles to the plane of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a

rear View, on an enlarged scale, of` One of the trigger-disks; Fig. 4, an enlarged view of corresponding portions seen in Fig. 2; Fig.'5, a

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front elevation of the monitor, shown as con-l ing attention at present entirely to Figs. l, 2,

3, and 4-, A indicates a box inclosing certain machinery suitably supported at about breast height from the floor of the engine-house, shown as being carried by a floorstandard; B, an arbor journaled in said box and arranged to be rotated by motor mechanism therein, and having an end projecting outward from the front of the box; C, a motor-spring, similar to a clock-spring, arranged to rotate the arbor; D, a clutch upon the arbor, serving, when in engagement, to prevent the rotation of the arbor and to secure it in a definite fixed position of rotation, the clutch being illustrated in the figures referred to as a sliding collar splined to the arbor and having a pin engaging a hole in the wall of the box; E, a tri gger-lever whose oscillations will release whatever alarm mechanism may bc employed-as, for inst-ance, the releasing-stop of an ordinary bell-striking apparatus as often used in engine-houses; F, the trigger-arm, the same being connected to oscillate with the trigger-lever and to present a tappet end near the arbor B, so as to be struck by tappets upon a trigger-disk upon the arbor; G, a hook upon the front of the box near the arbor; H, a series of trigger-disks bearing conspicuous numbers corresponding with the numbers of the rendezvous-stations, all these disks being adapted to be placed by the hand upon the projecting end of the arbor D, and to engage a spline thereon, so as to be rotated as the arbor rotates; J, a notch in each trigger-disk, adapted to pass the hook G as the trigger-disk is pushed upon the arbor; K, tappets upon the trigger-disks, these tappets being arranged in circular series, so as to successively strike the tappet end of the trigger-lever, the tappets in the disk being arranged in groups to correspond with the designating-numbers upon the face of the diskas, for instance, two taps and a space and then four taps to correspond with the number twenty-four-this grouping being repeated as often as the entire length of the series of tappets in the disk will permit; L, pegs supported by the box, preferably in a circle, and projecting outwardly, similarly to the central arbor, and serving as storagepegs for the trigger-disks; M, a spring upon the central arbor, serving to hold the clutch D normally into engagement, so as to prevent the rotation of the arbor; N, a weight at the lower portion of each disk, such weights serving to cause the disks to normally rest upon their storage-pegs in such position as to keep the numbers rightside up and to keep the notches J in a proper position for engagement with the hook G when a trigger-disk is applied to the arbor; and O, a flier of ordinary construction, arranged to control the velocity of rotation of the mechanism.

In Fig. 1, trigger-disk No. 24 is shown as displaced from its storageplace. Assume that a realarm has been received from rendezvous No. 24, either by messenger or by telegraph. An attendant takes triggendisk No. 24 from its peg and places it upon the central arbor and pushes it inwardly as faras possible and leaves it. The effect of this inward push is to engage the trigger-disk with the arbor, to bring circle of tappcts K into position to engage the tappet end of the trigger-arm when the trigger-disk revolves, to

bring the flange of the tappet-disk behind the hook G and to disengage the clutch D. The arbor instantly begins to revolve. The tappets K successively oscillate the trigger-arm and trigger-leverrlhe releasing device ofthe bell-striking mechanism' becomes operated by the movement of the triggerlever, and the bell will therefore strike the alarm corresponding to the number twenty-four, and repeat the signal as often as the proper grouping is repeated upon the circle of tappets, Fig. 3 showing a tappet-circle arranged to repeat the signal twenty-four three times. While the trigger-disk is revolving it cannot move outward and become disengaged from the tappet end of the trigger-arm. There is no inclina-v tion for the trigger-disk to retreat, as the spring M cannot exert itself untilthe clutch pin has swept through the entire circle and again reached the hole in which it engages. The hook C also prevents the accidental retreat of the trigger-disk until the trigger-disk has completed its rotation, so as to bring its notch J again to the hook. When the arbor has made one complete revolution, the clutchpin reaches its engaging-hole, and at the same time the notch J reaches the hook. The spring at once again locks the clutch and at the same time pushes the trigger-disk outwardly, and the arrangement is preferably such that the trigger-disk will be thrown entirely off the arbor, leaving it to be picked up and restored to its peg, and leaving the arbor vacant for future use.

There are .to be as many trigger-disks as there are rendezvous-stations, and in addition there may be extra trigger-disks for striking the hour at morning, noon, and night, and there may be other trigger-disks for special signals, each disk, of course, having its tappets arranged in appropriate groups. The trigger'disks maybe placed upon pegs, as shown, in a circle, or otherwise, or they may be normally stored in other ways; but it is preferable to have them stored in proper position as close as possible to the arbor. If new rendezvous,

stations or new signals are added to the system, an additional trigger-disk only is required.

'Ihe motorspring G, or its equivalent IOO IIO

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weight, if employed, should be arranged with a capacity corresponding to several successive alarms; but in all cases it should, outof abundant caution, be wound up after each alarm.

Itis ofcourse to be understood that the -mechanism of this monitor/3V so called, should be so arranged that the velocity at which it revolves the trigger-disk will be appropriate to the striking velocity of the bell-striking mechanism. In other words, the monitor must not give impulses to the trigger-lever faster than the bell striking mechanism can respond. This can of course be regulated by `area and relative velocity of flier.

The arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the only arrangement thus far described, has been chosen Vfor the purpose of simple description and as a stepping-stone to a more advanced exemplitcation of the prin ciple. The device described requires that the required trigger-disks shall be removed yfrom its storage-place and placed upon the arbor when an alarm is to be given and be restored to its storage-place when the alarm is over.

; A more advanced construction avoids these necessities and will be readily understood from Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, in which each trigger-disk is mounted upon a rotary arbor, all the arbors moving simultaneously by the action of one motor-spring. The shaft of the trigger-lever is located atthe center of the circle of trigger-disks, and the trigger-arm F takes the form of a spider, presenting a tappet end to each trigger-disk. In a similar manner the clutch is arranged to be operated by any one of the trigger-disks. Each triggerdisk is arranged to be pushed inward -upon its arbor, and is held outward by sprin M, as before, but the trigger-disks cannot leave. their arbors.

The same letters of reference as have occurrediin connection with the preceding figures apply toFigs. 5 and 6; but proceeding further with an explanation of Figs. 5 and 6, P indicates a spider free for a slight rotation and presenting an arm behind the hub of each trigger-disk; Q, a pawlv engaging the central clutch and serving when Ain engagement to prevent the rotation of the mechanism; R, a spring holding the clntch-pawl normally in engagement with the clutch D; S, a pin projecting from the spiderv P to the pawl, and

serving,when the spider P is slightly rotated, v

to lift the pawl and free the clutch and` rotary mechanism; T, the beveled hubs of the trigger-disks, these bevels serving to engage sidewise the arms ofthe spider P and to impart a slight rotation to the spider as a trigger-disk is pushed inward; U, a central gear engaging gears on the entire circle of arbors B, and serving to synchronize the rotation of the arbors; and V the cord or Wire leading from the trigger-lever to such releasing mechanism as the monitor may be intended to operate.

A central shaft has the trigger-lever E fixed to its'rear end and a spider, P, to its front end. The spider P is free for rotation on this revolution. If the central gear is three times 7 3 'the size of the gears upon the arbors, there should be three clutching-points D upon lthe clutch-disk.

In the device illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6'the operationis asfollows: Normally all'of the 8o trigger-disks stand outward so far that their tappets'do not engage the arms F. All the arbors will revolve together and the triggerdisks revolve with their arbors. If any trigger-disk be pushed inward,its tappets ywill be VVv brought into engaging position with reference to the arms F. Its flange will pass behind its appropriate hook G. Its beveled hub will then ,partially rotate the spider P. The pawl Q will thereby be lifted. all the arbors and all the triggerdisks will then revolve.A The impulses to the triggerlever will be given only by the trigger-disk which has been pushed inward, as that is the only trigger-disk whose tappets are in position to engage with the arms of the trigger-spiral. That trigger-disk, after being pushed inward, is not at liberty to again move outward until it has completed its circle so as tobring its notch J again to its hook G. When this ociro curs, the trigger-disk returns to its normal idle position, and the p awl Qstops the entire mechanism and leaves all the parts in condition for another use. Therefore, in thiseX- empl'iiication of the system a sufficient number to 5 of arbors atleast must be provided to comprehend the entire range of signals which the apparatus is to give. In'other words, the monitor may be constructed with a large number of arbors in a circle; but the trigger-disks need I to be provided only as the signal system isV eX- tended.- Two of the monitors may, however, be set side by side and arranged to pull upon the same trigger-string, in which manner the capacity of the system maybe increased with- [I 5 out the necessity for discarding any apparatus in use.

In either exemplitication of the device bellsignals may be given by hand by depressing the trigger-lever independent of the monitor 12o mechanism. v

The monitor in either of its exemplifications is suited for use with any ordinary bell-striking or signal-giving apparatus; but in Fig. 7 I

illustrate a monitor connected with a pneumatic bell-striker operated by weight. In this figure of the drawings W indicates the bell-rope leading from the bell-striker to the bell-hammer; X, a crank free to revolve and having attached to it the lower end of the bell- 13o rope; Y, the drum on which the suspendingrope of the weight which operates the striker .is Wound in the usual manner; Z, the Weight attached to this drum and serving to supply If it is desiredthat 7o The central gear and eo the bellstriking power; a, two teeth oppositelydisposed upon theperiphery ofthe drum, or a flange upon one end of it; b, a pawl normally engaging one of these teeth and arranged to be bolted out of engagement by the triggerstring bar connected with the monitor; c, the bell. and d the bell-hammer.

'When the monitor pulls the triggerstring, the pawl b is disengaged, and the Weight Z causes the drum and crank to revolve, the crank X being carried around by a spring paw] upon the drum. This operation pulls back the bell-ham mer, the rotation oi' the drum continuing until the opposite stop is caught by the pawl b. At this time the crank X has so far passed beyond the lower center of revolution that it will pass freely through the balance of the revolution by the movement of the hammer, the crank again being engaged by a pawl-rod for the next impulse.

In Fig. 8 I illustrate the monitor as conneetedwith a pneumatic alarm apparatus. In this figure e indicates a pneumatic engine arranged to operate the bell-hammer; f, a' tlirottlc-valve in the pipe leading to the engine; g, a tank containing compressed air and connected to the pipe leading to the pneumatic engine, and also serving as the support for the monitor; lz., a pump by which the pressure may be maintained in the tank, andg awhistle connected with the pipe above the valve.

In this case the effect of the monitor is to opelate the valvefin proper rates of intermittency, and thereby admit the compressed air to the pneumatic engine and strike a blow up'on the bell, or to admit air to the Whistle, and thereby produce a signal. Of course the pneumatic engine, with its appropriate bell, and the Whistle, will not probably be used together, aseither form of signal will be sufficient in itself.

I claim as my invention-.

1. In a signaling apparatus, an arbor, mo tor mechanism to revolve the arbor, a triggerdisk fitted to revolve with the arbor and to be moved endwise with reference thereto and provided with a circular series of tappets, a trigger mechanism presenting a tappet end in the path of said rappers and arranged to operate the releasing device of alarm mechanism, and a clutch arranged to normally restrain the rotation of the arbor and be released by the end- Wise motion of the trigger-disk, combined and arranged Ifor operation substantially as and for the purpose ,set forth.

, 2. In a signaling apparatus, an arbor, motor mechanisrniarranged to revolve the arbor, a trigger-disk provided with a series of tappets and with a notch arranged toberevolved by the arbor and to move endwise With reference thereto, a fixed hook to pass such notch in the trigger-disk and to prevent retreat, except when notch and hook coincide, a clutch to normally restrain the rotation of the arbor and arranged to be disengaged by the endwise motion of the trigger-disk, and atrigger lucchanism arranged to be operated by the tappets on the trigger-disk, combined and arranged for operation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In asignaling apparatus, the combination of a trigger, one or more arbors, motor mecl1- anism arranged to revolve such arbor or arbors, and a series of numbered triggerdisks provided with tappets fitted to engage and operate said trigger and iitted for endwise inotion, and a clutch fitted to normally restrain said arbor or arbors against rotation and to be disengaged by the endwise motion ofone ofsaid trigger-disks upon its arbor, combined and arranged for operation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fire-alarm apparatus, the combination of a signal sounding mechanism, ,a trigger-cord arranged to cause such mechanism to give one signal'sound for each actuation of the cord, a trigger-arm placed in connection with such cord and arranged to be actuated by tappets on a trigger-disk, and a series of triggerdisks bearing. designative numbers and provided with .designative groups of tappets and arranged for alternative use, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES XV. SEE.

Vitnesses:

WV. E. GARDNER, W. A. SEWARD. 

